The present invention relates to an assembly comprising a container and packaging for the latter, which packaging comprises a box-like body with a sleeve-like portion which envelops the article and has two ends, one end being provided with a closure.
A assembly of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,434 A. With this assembly the neck portion of a container such as a bottle is covered by a sleeve. This sleeve functions to cover the closure, such as a cap.
In general, packaging or outer packaging that is closed all round is known for packing containers of a wide variety of types, such as bottles, flasks and the like. Such an outer packaging functions to protect the contents placed therein, provides an opportunity for the incorporation of promotional and/or informative text and in some cases has an effect on the power to generate willingness to buy.
After all, for some applications, such as in cosmetics, a certain degree of curiosity with regard to the contents of the packaging is generated in the consumer and it has been found that the use of packaging stimulates an incentive to buy.
Moreover, packaging can be used to give non-uniform containers a uniform appearance on the shelf as a result of the packaging,
It has been found that especially in the case of cosmetic products the consumer""s xe2x80x9ccuriosityxe2x80x9d leads to such packaging being opened in order to see the contents. Before a product is bought it is looked at a number of times by various consumers. That is to say, the packaging is accordingly opened and closed again a number of times by consumers.
It has been found that this results in damage to an appreciable percentage, typically 20%, of the packs. If a consumer is able to choose from a number of identical products he/she will always choose the product with the undamaged packaging. In other words, damaged packaging containing product is particularly difficult to sell and in practice will be returned to the manufacturer.
The latter will repack the product. The costs associated with such an action are appreciable.
Moreover, the use of such xe2x80x9couter packagingxe2x80x9d is associated with an appreciable material requirement, which is in conflict with the requirements imposed by various government agencies with regard to reduced use of packaging material.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,680,557 A discloses a packaging for ice cream filled waffles which is open at the top. For ease of eating, this packaging extends around the ice cream product concerned. With this product two waffles are held in the horizontal position some distance apart and the space between them can be filled with ice cream.
The aim of the present invention is so to optimise the packaging described above that such disadvantages do not arise.
This aim is achieved with a assembly as described above in that the other end of the packaging has an opening, the limits of which correspond to said container and the packaging being designed at least partially to contain said container in the sleeve-like portion.
According to the invention the packaging is constructed without a base. That is to say, introduction of the product can easily take place through the opening in the sleeve-like portion. This means that packing during the production of the assembly consisting of packaging and container is appreciably simplified. This applies equally to putting the container back in the packaging.
Because of the presence of the opening, the closure at the xe2x80x9ctopxe2x80x9d of the packaging can, in principle, be non-opening. According to an advantageous embodiment, however, said closure consists of a fold-back lid of the type conventional in the state of the art. After opening the lid the container that has been placed therein can either be pushed out downwards via the opening at the bottom or can be removed from the packaging in the conventional way. Because of the presence of an opening it is important, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, that container and sleeve-like portion are in clamping engagement with one another. This applies in particular if the cross-sectional shape of the container does not match the cross-sectional shape of the packaging at every point. That is to say, where there is a possibility that the user grasps the packaging without in so doing directly grasping the container it is necessary that the container is joined to the packaging in some other way, such as by frictional engagement. Of course, engagement with the aid of a readily releasable adhesive or the like is also possible.
The sleeve-like portion can have any shape known in the state of the art. According to an advantageous embodiment this shape is essentially of the parallelepiped type. This applies in particular in the case of an embodiment with a fold-back lid. The shape of the container can differ from the shape of the sleeve-like portion, as indicated above with regard to the shape of the container in the longitudinal direction, but this can also relate to the cross-sectional shape, Preferably, however, the outer periphery of the container is essentially identical to the inner periphery of the sleeve-like portion at at least one point, as a result of which optimum engagement is provided.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention the packaging extends over the entire height of the container. That is to say, when the container is placed on a shelf together with the packaging no part of the container is visible. The bottom of the container is in direct contact with the shelf. After all, the packaging does not extend further than the bottom.
The invention also relates to a assembly consisting of a container and the packaging described above where there is frictional engagement between these two components.
As indicated, the container can be of any construction known in the state of the art. The packaging can, of course, be provided with some printing or other indication that can be either for promotional or information purposes.